1 GLT My son, listen attentively to my wisdom, incline your ear to my understanding BSB BSB: My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my insight,
2 GLT in order to keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. BSB BSB: that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.
3 GLT For the lips of a strange woman drip fresh honey and smoother than oil{ is} her palate, BSB BSB: Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil,
4 GLT but her aftermath{ is} bitter like wormwood, sharp like a sword of mouths. BSB BSB: in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 GLT Her feet are going down{ to} death; her steps take hold of Sheol. BSB BSB: Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol.
6 GLT Lest she observe the path of life, she does not know her tracks{ are} unstable. BSB BSB: She does not consider the path of life; she does not know that her ways are unstable.
7 GLT And now, sons, listen to me; and do not turn away from the sayings of my mouth. BSB BSB: So now, my sons, listen to me, and do not turn aside from the words of my mouth.
8 GLT Keep your way far from her and do not come near to the opening of her house. BSB BSB: Keep your path far from her; do not go near the door of her house,
9 GLT Lest you give to others your splendor and your years to a cruel one. BSB BSB: lest you concede your vigor to others, and your years to one who is cruel;
10 GLT Lest strangers be satisfied with your strength and your toils{ be} in the house of a foreigner, BSB BSB: lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich the house of a foreigner.
11 GLT and you groan at your end when your flesh and your body are finished. BSB BSB: At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are spent,
12 GLT And you will say,“How I hated correction and my heart despised rebuke! BSB BSB: and you will say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!
13 GLT And I did not listen to the voice of my teachers and to my instructors I did not incline my ear. BSB BSB: I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my mentors.
14 GLT I was almost in all evil in the midst of the assembly and the congregation.” BSB BSB: I am on the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.”
15 GLT Drink water from your cistern and flowing waters from the midst of your well. BSB BSB: Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.
16 GLT Should your springs overflow outside, channels of water in the open areas? BSB BSB: Why should your springs flow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?
17 GLT Let them be for you, for you alone, and not for strangers with you. BSB BSB: Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.
18 GLT May your fountain be blessed, and be glad from the wife of your youth! BSB BSB: May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:
19 GLT A doe of loves and a mountain goat of grace, may her breasts drench you on every occasion; may you continually stagger in her love. BSB BSB: A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.
20 GLT And why would you stagger, my son, with a strange woman, or embrace the bosom of a foreign woman? BSB BSB: Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress, or embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21 GLT For in front of the eyes of Yahweh{ are} the ways of a man, and all of his paths he observes. BSB BSB: For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.
22 GLT His iniquities capture him, the wicked one; and by the cords of his sin he is grasped. BSB BSB: The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.
23 GLT He will die because there is no correction; and in the abundance of his folly he staggers. BSB BSB: He dies for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.